Creative Nonfiction Essay Publishers

Several prestigious literary magazines have opened their reading periods for submissions. This list has a mix of well-known and little-known or new magazines that welcome creative non-fiction: memoir, personal essays, lyrical essays and more.

There are some themed calls: about community, mental health, candy, Canadian women and the vote and Indigenous writers, writing related to womanhood, environmental justice and on contemporary themes.

Several also accept fiction, poetry and translations.

Many of these pay writers; apart from cash and contributor copies, some also give magazine subscriptions.

Reckoning

This is an annual journal of writing on environmental justice. They want essays that are more creative than journalistic, as well as fiction (at least a bit speculative) and poetry; work that is a personal, visceral understanding of the world and the people in it as it has been, as it will be and as it could be, as a consequence of humanity’s relationship with earth. They particularly welcome work from Indigenous writers, writers of color, queer and transgender writers. Query for reprints. Deadline: 22 September 2017 Length: Up to 45,000 words; for poetry, send multiple short or one long Pay: $0.06/word for prose; $20/page for poetry Details here.

Tin House: Candy

The theme for their Spring 2018 print issue is Candy – what is the sweet thing you crave that also may be ruining your life? They are also reading for their unthemed Summer 2018 issue, and accept non-fiction, fiction and poetry. Deadline: 30 September 2017 Length: Up to 10,000 words of prose and up to 5 poems for print; various for online Pay: Unspecified for print, none for online content Details here.

Nashville Review

They accept creative non-fiction, fiction, translations and poetry, and publish both established and emerging writers. Deadline: 30 September 2017 Length: Up to 8,000 words for prose; 3 poems of up to 8 pages Pay: $100 for prose; $25 per poem or song selection Details here.

Buddy

This is a new zine that publishes writing about mental health (MH). They accept poetry, fiction and creative non-fiction. They want work that is anti-stigma, innovative or comical, and writing from those with and without MH diagnosis. Deadline: 30 September 2017 Length: Up to 3 poems (2 pages per poem); up to 5 pages of prose Pay: None Details here.

Gordon Square Review

They want non-fiction, fiction and poetry for their inaugural issue. They welcome writing from women, writers of color, writers with disability, LGBTQ writers, and previously unpublished writers. See guidelines for their preferred aesthetic, and editorial mentorship details. Deadline: 15 October 2017 Length: One prose piece of 5,000 words or three pieces of up to 1,000 words each; up to three poems Pay: $25 for prose, $10 for poetry Details here.

Ninth Letter: Community

They publish non-fiction, fiction and poetry, and want both experimental and traditional writing. For the web edition, the theme is Community. Deadline: 5 November 2017 for the web edition; 30 November 2017 for fiction and 28 February 2018 for essays and poetry, for the print edition Length: up to 3,500 words for prose and up to 3 poems for the web; non-fiction or fiction of up to 8,000 words, 3-6 poems (max 10 pages) for the print magazine Pay: $75 per story or essay and $25 per poem for the web; $25/page for the print edition Details here.

Ducts

They want personal stories and welcome both new and established writers, and seek original perspectives on both common and uncommon topics. They publish essays, memoir, humor, fiction and poetry. Deadline: 15 November 2017 Length: Varies for each section; see guidelines Pay: $20 Details here.

Baltimore Review

There is no fee to submit creative non-fiction for their regular, non-themed submissions. They regularly nominate work for prizes. See the editors’ tips to writers for their preferences. Deadline: 30 November 2017 Length: Up to 5,000 words Pay: $40 Amazon gift certificate or via PayPal Details here.

The Iowa Review

They publish all kinds of creative non-fiction, including personal and lyric essays, memoirs and literary journalism. Submissions may be one long piece or multiple short pieces. They also publish poetry, fiction and translations. Mailed submissions are not charged. Deadline: 1 December 2017 Length: Up to 25 pages of prose and 8 pages of poetry Pay: $0.08/word for prose ($100 minimum); $1.50/line for poetry ($40 minimum) Details here.

Prairie Fire: two themed calls

Their current submission calls are for Canadian Indigenous Writers (where they also call for experimental work), and for Canadian Women and the Vote 1918-2018. Deadline: 1 December 2017 for Canadian Women and the Vote; 15 December 2017 for Indigenous Writers Length: Up to 5,000 words; up to three poems, no more than 10 pages Pay: CAD0.10/word, up to CAD250 for prose; CAD40/poem Details here.

The Southern Review

They publish essays, including creative non-fiction and literary essays, as well as fiction and poetry. Submission fee will be waived during University Press Week, 6-11 November 2017. There is no fee for mailed submissions. Deadline: 1 December 2017 for non-fiction and fiction; 1 February 2018 for poetry (postmarked) Length: Up to 8,000 words for prose; up to 5 poems or 15 pages Pay: $25 per printed page, up to $200 Details here.

The New Quarterly

They publish non-fiction that explores both the craft and the writing life. They also publish fiction and poetry. They have a range of regular features on the writing life, and their non-fiction is a mix of creative writing, researched essays and discussions. Their writers have been cited for major literary prizes, including the Man Booker and the Journey Prize. Deadline: 28 February 2018 Length: Up to 6,000 words for prose; up to 3 poems or postscript stories Pay: CAD250 per prose piece; CAD40 per poem or postscript story Details here.

Copper Nickel

They publish essays, fiction and poetry, as well as translation folios. Deadline: 15 March 2018 Length: Unspecified for prose; 4-6 poems Pay: $30/page for 2017; two editor prizes of $500 each for poetry and prose per issue Details here.

West Branch

Apart from creative non-fiction, they also publish fiction, poetry and translations. Deadline: 1 April 2018 Length: Up to 30 pages of prose; up to 6 poems Pay: $50 per poem, $0.05/word for prose, with a maximum of $100 Details here.

Colorado Review

They want short fiction and essays with contemporary themes (no genre fiction or literary criticism), and consider poems of any style. They do not charge a fee for mailed submissions. Deadline: Rolling for non-fiction; up to 30 April 2018 for fiction and poetry Length: 15-25 pages of prose; up to 5 poems Pay: $200 for short stories and essays; $10 per page for poetry Details here.

Agni

This journal has published important new writers early in their careers, and they also publish fiction, translations and poetry. They pay the same rates for web and print editions. Deadline: 31 May 2018 Length: One story, essay or 5 poems at a time; no word limits Pay: $10/page for prose, $20/page of poetry, $150 maximum Details here.

Counterclock

They want work that is raw, honest, intimate and vulnerable for their first issue. They publish non-fiction, fiction, cross-genre work and poetry, including short videos of performance poetry. Deadline: Now open Length: Up to 6,000 words for prose; up to 5 pages of poetry Pay: None Details here.

the Same

This is a literary journal by women, for women. They want topics related to womanhood, and accept non-fiction, fiction and poetry. Deadline: Now open Length: 1,000-3,000 words for non-fiction; up to 4,000 words for fiction; no line limits for poetry Pay: None Details here.

Ember

They accept creative non-fiction (not essays), fiction and poetry suitable for all age groups. Submission by writers aged 10-18 are strongly encouraged. Deadline: Unspecified Length: 400-12,000 words for prose; 500-1,500 for flash fiction; 3-100 lines for poetry, up to three poems Pay: $0.02/word or $20 for the work, whichever is more Details here.

filling Station

They publish critical and creative non-fiction, fiction and poetry. They like innovative work.

Each issue of True Story, a new monthly magazine from Creative Nonfiction magazine, will feature one work of creative non-fiction. There is no fee for mailed submissions. Deadline: Ongoing Length: 5,000-10,000 words Pay: $300 Details here.

Below is a list of more than 100 literary journals and magazines that publish personal essays and other creative nonfiction. Some pay. Some don't. I plan to update this list and add to it, so if I missed anything, let me know. Happy publishing!